Perhaps the most concise way to summarize Michael Feinstein’s work over nearly 30 years as a prominent keeper of the flame for the Great American Songbook is to say that the Great American song title that least applies to him might be Duke Ellington and Bob Russell’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

Feinstein, 57, came to L.A. from his native Ohio in the 1970s to sing and play in piano bars, immersed himself in the art and lore of his musical calling as an assistant to Ira Gershwin and has gone on to champion his favored song form in all venues at hand, including co-proprietorship of Feinstein’s concert nightclub in L.A., Feinstein’s at the Nikko in San Francisco and a nonprofit foundation based near Indianapolis.

He also has branched out into composing for musicals, and he hopes his first attempt, “The Gold Room,” based on the life of heiress Barbara Hutton, will land a production in England, where his collaborator, lyricist-librettist Warner Brown, is based. And last summer, Feinstein leaped into leading an orchestra for the first time, as principal conductor of the Pasadena Pops. His first season drew big crowds, and the second season opened earlier this month with a concert titled “Feinstein’s Favorites” at the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia.

Here are excerpts from a conversation with Feinstein:

Q What have you been doing to sharpen your conducting skills?

A It’s just been an immersion process, where every day I do some work, (whether) it’s studying a score or flailing my arms while standing in front of a mirror, whatever it takes. I’ve always made music without formal musical education, and some people might say, ‘Well, that’s evident.’ But (conducting) requires a great musical knowledge and skill that I’m gaining in small increments. The exciting part is connecting the dots, learning how to physically conduct something and make it sound as I feel it in my body.

Q Did you get along with the Arboretum’s flock of peacocks, which are known to be quite vocal during Pops concerts?

A Yes, they are vocal. One night I was onstage, and they started their caterwauling. Sometimes, the cadence of their cry sounds like they’re saying, “Schmuck! Schmuck!” The only rejoinder was, “Well, everyone’s a critic.” But being an animal lover and a vegan, I don’t mind them at all. I love that they’re there.

Q Has keeping the standards alive been helped by shows such as “American Idol” and “Glee” and albums of standards by pop stars?

A I may not always like the interpretation, but the exposure is great, and in that way it’s always wonderful. Clearly there are many people who love those recordings. And hopefully, it will lead them to the more sublime and more lasting interpretations.

Q Do you think any singers coming from rock and contemporary pop have done standards well?

A I thought Linda Ronstadt was so canny to work with Nelson Riddle. She wanted to do something authentic, and she had the sensibility of going to the greatest arranger of American popular music. I think k.d. lang has a natural affinity for singing standards. I was delighted a couple of years ago to watch Lady Gaga sing “Someone to Watch Over Me” on the “Today” show.

Q Now that you’re composing for musicals, are you sensitive to the common complaint that contemporary Broadway shows seldom, if ever, send the audience home humming the songs?

A Melody is the key to creating something that is lasting. The problem for me with a lot of contemporary Broadway is that the songs are not particularly well-crafted, in that they do not further the plot. They’re often brilliantly staged, but the songs themselves are not very well done. A classic show like “Gypsy” or “My Fair Lady” or “Guys and Dolls” — when a character sings something, it creates a moment that transports the audience emotionally to another place. As much as I adore Elton John as a great pop writer, I don’t think that “Billy Elliot” has a very good score, because it doesn’t accomplish the essential thing that is required in a musical. To me, that is the greatest problem with Broadway, so I’d like to take a crack at it.

Q How far along are you with the museum in Indiana?

A The organization, which we now call the Great American Songbook Foundation, has a marvelous archive that’s ever-growing, with a world-class collection of sheet music. We are in Carmel, Indiana, because we were approached by the city. At first I thought, “Why would I want to go to Carmel, Indiana?” Then I saw the facility and the promise of support that has indeed materialized. The museum is still in the formative stages, but the great thing is that I know it will happen. Kids from 30 states compete in the annual singing competition, and in the next three years, we’ll be in all 50 states.

I call it the “Anti-American Idol.” Not all kids listen to pop music, and not all kids are interested only in hearing histrionics and a big high note at the end. There are many thousands of kids out there who have a different sensibility and experience with music, and we’ve had the experience of discovering these young talents and nurturing them, and it’s the most thrilling part of what the organization accomplishes.